


A Phantom's Whisper

by WayWardWatson



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Haunted House, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Implied Relationship, M/M, Supernatural - Freeform, Team Lads Action News, near death encounter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-20
Updated: 2014-01-20
Packaged: 2018-01-09 09:41:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1144466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WayWardWatson/pseuds/WayWardWatson
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ray blames Michael for dragging him into this. "Oh, JJ bet money!" "Team Action News X-Ray!" He regretted being dragged along and now he was alone in this abandoned Mansion. He shivered.</p><p>Nothing ruins a day like being trapped in a house that can peer into your very soul.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Phantom's Whisper

**Author's Note:**

> Quick drabble while on RP skyping with the coolest people ever. Hope you enjoy it.
> 
> 4/2: Had to make some edits. 
> 
> Might make this a sequel too, we shall see.

Ray pressed himself against the wall and tried not to breathe too loudly. His side twisted in pain, his feet ached, and his head was pounding, but he couldn't rest - no, not until he escaped.

He wanted to double over from the aches, he wanted to slide down and just sit against the wall and stare through the broken ceiling and into the cloudless dark night's sky.

Instead, Ray took in a few more breaths and glanced around the corner: All Clear.

He took a few tentative steps out, glancing behind him once, before continuing forward. 

The hall was falling apart; the walls had black mold growing along its side, many parts of the ceiling seemed to sag or had fully con-caved into the hall, and parts of the floor had fallen inside itself disappearing down deep, dark holes. Ray carefully edged around a rather large hole; one likely caused by the collapsed part of the ceiling. He wanted to cough, his eyes watering, at the pungent smell of mildew and a mix of something like vomit and piss.

He had reached the end of the hall, greeted by two corridors; one going left and the other going right. Ray frowned and panic twisted in his gut when he couldn't remember which way he had come from. He shifted anxiously on his feet, glancing behind him every so often, though he couldn't see much more than the three feet in front of him in this darkness.

He hummed softly as he thought it over.

He tried to retrace his steps, but his memories were too jumbled up, especially when - Ray shivered and stopped thinking. Instead, he thought back to earlier today at the office when Michael had approached his desk as he was editing next week's Easter Egg guide in CoD.

 

Michael hovered behind Ray's chair, briefly noting what the Puerto Rican was doing, before roughly nudging Ray's shoulder and calling his name. At first, Ray ignored Michael (if he pretended he couldn't hear him, then he'd just leave him alone), but after a minute or three of Michael's persistent pestering, Ray sighed and took off his headphones.

"What?"

"Wow, didn't realize you were filled with vinegar today," Michael bit back, "Must be from all the pent up tension of isolating yourself in the apartment all the time."

"Oh yeah, absolutely on the brink here," Ray deadpanned, "getting cabin fever with only these games to keep me sane."

Michael gave a smarmy grin, "I've got the perfect cure for that.." Ray rolled his eyes.

"Not Interested."

"Don't be a mincy little prick," Michael's voice rose into a faux Gavin voice, before dropping back to its normal tone. "It's just a little adventure."

Ray gave Michael a look.

"Michael, I'm shockingly caucasian for a reason, I'm 'afraid' of the outside remember?" Ray cocked his brow up for extra measure.

Michael chuckled and Ray grinned, but his attempt of humorous redirection failed when Michael continued, voice losing previous humor.

"No, but really, Lindsay found this house a few miles away - abandoned of course - it's pretty well-sized and I've heard that it's pretty old."

"So?" Ray frowned.

"So...we have to explore it."

"No."

 Michael frowned. "Why not?"

Ray gave him a look, "Michael, that is illegal."

"Everyone does it."

"If everyone jumped off a bridge would you?"

Michael shrugged, "I'd have other bodies to break my fall."

"...you've been hanging around Ryan too much, I think you need to be checked." It was Michael's turn to give Ray a look before rolling his eyes.

"Look, Gavin is coming along. It'll be a Lads Action thing." Michael crossed his arms, "Besides, it's Friday, you're not going to be do anything anyways. Heck, I'll even buy your dinner before we go." 

Ray shook his head. "Michael this just have bad news written all over it - it's literally every horror films first scene." Ray snorted. "I am not going to participate in any C-rated horror movie deaths."

"What happened to YOLO?"

Ray clicked a few more keys, having returned to his editing, before scoffing. "I go and my Yolo will turn into Nolo."

Michael sighed. "Fine." Michael shifted, arms uncrossed, as he leaned against the bookcase. "JJ dared me and Gavin to go,"

"-Which has nothing to do with me."

"And," Michael continued, talking over Ray. "he offered to pay an extra few twenties if we got you to come along - Team Lads Action News: 'House Hunting'" Michael air quoted before dropping his hands to his sides.

"So if you come," he dragged out the 'u', "We get twice the money and you'll have a few months worth of $1 meal Burgers."

He cocked his head and and held his arms out expectantly. 

"What do you say?"

Ray sighed and clicked 'save'.

"..Fine."

Michael whooped and Ray knew right then and there that he was going to regret this.

 

Ray jumped when a loud creak echoed from the right corridor. He let out a small squeak and took a step away from that side. His heart was hammering and he wished he knew where Gavin and Michael disappeared to. He had a strange feeling that they must be together and, for a second, he wondered if they had caused the noise. Their names tingled on his lips as he almost called out for the two - but he stopped himself as he sucked in a deep breath and swallowed the words.

He had a feeling that it wasn't them that caused the noise.

With quiet steps, Ray slipped into the left hall.

 

Despite the few miles away from the bustling city, Ray felt like they were already in the middle of butt fuck nowhere.

From his left to his right was large open lands where cattle would amble about and the occasionally large portion of forest that seemed to separate each farm. Eventually, Michael pulled into a dirt path framed by the forests on either side. Gavin spouted directions, Michael cursing when Gavin fumbled and sent them on the wrong turn, and Ray leaned his head against the window as he cataloged landmarks for his future escape. 

Finally, the car pulled to a stop.

Gavin went silent for a few seconds, before letting out a low whine as he gazed at their destination. "Let's say we did, then don't." He said, fiddling with Michael's camera. Michael rolled his eyes and seemed unaffected, "Let's just get this over with - an hour of investigation and we go." He popped open the door and stepped out.

Gavin waited a few seconds, before following Michael's lead, his nervous frown evident.

Ray hesitated and wished he didn't agree to all this.

The house wasn't well-sized; it was enormous.

Ray stepped out of the car, eyes trained on this Mansion in front of him. He reckoned that it was maybe two stories, but it made up in width and (Ray tilted a little to the side) definitely in length.

"This is a bad idea." He said.

"Definitely." Michael agreed even as he walked up to the front patio. He tried the handle, but the door was locked. The windows around them were caked in dirt and cracked, but none of them were broken. Michael crossed his arms and Ray hoped that meant they could leave if they couldn't find a way in.

"Over here!" Ray's hope plummeted when Gavin waved the two over and pointed to the broken second story window.

"Wow, nice work, how do you suggest we get up there?" Michael glared at Gavin, the other frowned thoughtfully as he looked around. "There!" He pointed to a nearby tree, a few of its branches a few feet away from the window. "We just climb up and get in from there."

"Sounds like work." Ray muttered, "Let's just go home and get pizza instead."

Michael just waved off Ray's comment as he walked up to the trunk. "We already ate." He hefted himself up the trunk, climbing up the branches, Gavin behind him. Only Ray stayed on the ground watching his two friends climb higher up.

"Guys.."he started but Gavin cut him off with an excited yell. "Oh! I can see the inside!"

"Ray, climb up - Gavin, NO! Only one at a time or else the branch will break!"

Ray wished it did.

 

The hallway seemed to stretch endlessly and nothing seemed familiar.

He turned another corner and stopped.

Ahead of him was a large crack in the wall, perfect size to crawl into and through - he felt a wave of familiarity; he had to crawl through a hole. This wave was quickly followed by a tsunami of fearful anxiety when he remembered the cold hand that had latched onto his ankle and tried to pull him back.

He was frozen.

What if it was still there?

What if he crawls through and it's waiting for him on the other side - he imagined the girl from the Ring and felt a newfound fear of the darkness around him.

Suddenly, a loud crash from down the hall jolted Ray and the young man didn't think twice as he got on all fours and frantically crawled through the hole. His shirt snagged on pipe and Ray nearly screamed, but just gulped in a lungful of dust instead and violently coughed. He scraped his hands across the floor until he finally emerged on the other side.

He glanced around, but the darkness helped him very little, and he weakly stood up. He froze and, biting his tongue, quickly looked up above him - but there was no monster on the ceiling. Heart still hammering, he looked back down and let out a breath when nothing appeared in front of him.

He stepped softly forward and walked out of the room he found himself in. Carefully, he glanced around the door; right was his only path and slowly he ventured down that hall. It wasn't until he came past a raggedy old painting that he recognized this hall.

 

Ray dusted his pants off and glared at Michael and Gavin. "You both are a horrible influence." The two grinned back at him - Gavin clicking his camera on while Michael idly walked around the small bedroom.

"When you're done being a baby," Michael turned to Ray and Gavin. "Let's check out the rest of the house."

Ray had expected the house to be in disrepair; dusty, moldy, and creepy in all aspects, and he wasn't let down on that expectation. It held an eerie silence that clung to the crappy wallpaper and mucked up furniture. Within the first ten to twenty minutes, the three had already managed to find the upstairs kitchen, checked out multiple bedrooms, and carefully climbed down the broken main stairs.

Now on the first floor, the three had ventured further inside.

With mild wariness, Ray noted that it was becoming dimmer the further they went.

Before he could voice it, the three had somehow found themselves in a large, strange room. It was strange because it felt like time had not touched it and, indeed, it was well maintained. Instead of the splintered wood or stone, the floor was solid and looked nearly new. The walls, instead of having that god-awful flower wallpaper, were painted a muted red and the overall room with its plush chairs and low wooden tables, it screamed new billiard room.

It was creepy.

It meant someone had to be here and the three shared a look.

"I think we've got eno-" Michael's voice was cut short when a deafening crash resounded behind him. The three gave out a shriek when they could hear the thundering sound of steps running towards them. Michael rushed forward and slammed the door to the hall that they had come from and without missing a beat, turned away and grabbed Gavin's wrist and pushed Ray forward to the only place they could escape.

The creepy room seemed to get worse as they ran into the lone door and found themselves in a hall made of mirrors. While the floor was still solid stone and the ceiling likely wood, the walls were full length mirrors. They ran down it until they emerged into another room. Michael quickly shut the door behind them, cursing as he fumbled with the lock.

Gavin had taken out his phone by now and let out a strained noise, "No service."

Ray breathed in hard. "I-I told you!" He paced, sick to his stomach. "I told you and now we're going to be murdered!"

Michael opened his mouth to retort, but screamed when the door shook as a large mass flung itself against it. The three jumped away; Michael walked backwards, to the right, and Gavin reached out for the man. Ray had walked backwards to the left, eyeing the shaking door.

"It's not going to hold."

His breath caught in his throat and he frantically looked around for somewhere to hide. Behind him, he spotted a small door. Quickly, he opened it and found it had a small crawl hall.

At the same time, Gavin let out a little panicked noise as he tripped over the hatch of a trap door jutting out from under the carpet. Michael shared a look with Gavin, before he moved away the carpet and, with a deep inhale, lifted the door. Both intended to tell the other, but neither had time when each heard a sickening crack as the door finally started to give way.

Gavin practically pushed Michael into the hole and jumped inside, he could only catch a glimpse of Ray shutting the small door before he shut the trap door - just as the door gave way.

 

It was the hall he had been chased down and Ray nearly felt like crying. He could feel a new burst of adrenaline surge through him as he reentered it. He knew exactly where he was going now. He remembered that there was another small room he would need to go through that connected to the hidden room with the crawl hall. In every word he could think of, he simply did not want to go that way. He remembered frantically crawling out of the crawl hall just as the small door slammed open behind him. He remembered throwing his whole weight against the door connected to the bookcase, just enough to open a large enough crack to slip through, and barely escape as whatever it was emerged from the crawl door.

He walked down that very hall where the thing had thundered behind him and he could almost feel its hot breath against his neck. The hall smelled like hot liquor and rot, just like that breath, and he felt like throwing up.

But despite his anxiety, he managed to make it back into the room without issue. He shut the door behind him, locking it, and slowly walked towards the bookshelf. Before, when he had squeezed through, he had barely enough space to fit his body through it. Now, the entry was wide open with the bookcase toppled over. He gulped and maneuvered around the mess and into the room, he crouched down and opened the small door. He looked around once more before crawling inside and shutting the door behind him with a light click. 

Ray listened for any noises, but he couldn't hear anything coming from the other side. The door leading to the room was closed and his hands trembled as they hovered near the handle. He glanced back down the crawl hall - he stopped breathing.

The door was open.

The door, the door he had shut, it was open.

He had heard it click when he closed it - it couldn't have. He knew - he felt numb as he watched the door.

He had to, he had to move - Ray, without taking his eyes away from the end corridor, frantically searched for the handle behind him before giving it a hard turn and frantically crawling backwards. He shut the door in front of him, but kept crawling back until he bumped into something bony.

"I've found you funny man.”

 

Ray didn't move, he was sure he wasn't breathing, as the girl continued to coo. "You dress funny - I saw you running earlier. Dad doesn't like it when people come this way." The flutter of a dress was his only warning before the girl appeared before him. He let out a yelp and could only stare up in increasing alarm.

He was going to die.

The girl tilted her little translucent head curiously. She was pale yet looked nearly solid and, despite popular belief, she mostly looked alive and well. Ray still died a little on the inside when she smiled and leaned towards him. "You're very cute, aren't you?"

Her voice lilted and her summer gown dipped as she crouched at Ray's eye-level.

He whimpered.

"Dad doesn't really like strangers - neither does Uncle Benny."

Ray whined - which meant; please don't kill me I just want to leave help. But the girl giggled.

"Who's Uncle Benny?"

Ray didn't care, he wanted to leave.

"He's the man that chased you - you went into his section." The girl, ghost, pouted. "Dad doesn't like Benny because he drinks that funny bottle. Do you drink those funny bottles?"

He was sure he swallowed his tongue, but was surprised when he heard his own shaking voice speak. "No. I drink water."

The girl giggled. "What's your name?"

Ray didn't want to tell this apparition, but found himself opening his mouth regardless. "Ray Narvaez Jr." He licked his lips. "What's yours?"

"Bethany" she said with a smile.

The two lapsed into silence, Ray still more or less splayed on the ground. He watched the girl with wide eyes.

She frowned.

He flinched when she moved her hand against his forehead, but unlike what he had expected, it didn't phase through as it was _very_ solid. The hand, however, was cold to the touch and he winced at the icy fingers trailing across his head. She tsked.

"You don't have a fever," She withdrew her cold hand. "But you look absolutely terrible."

She bounced up and offered her hand to Ray. "Let me fix you a glass of water."

Once again, Ray found himself unable to resist her silent command as his hand took hers and allowed himself to, not only be lifted up, but dragged out of the room and down the mirrored hallway.

He stared in shock as she appeared in the mirrors. She happily smiled ahead, a skip to her step as her dress bounced around her knees, and he cringed when he caught sight of himself - the cold sheen of sweat, the dilated pupils, the plaster sprinkled in his messy hair. He looked like death. "Here, let me." The girl let go of his hand briefly to open the door before taking it once more.

Before they stepped through, the girl paused and turned to face him - an oddly serious expression on her face. He gulped. "Don't leave my sight, okay?" He nodded. Bethany smiled brightly and started to talk animatedly as she pulled Ray back into the Strange Room.

Ray gasped at the harsh, bright light and coughed at the hard smell of tobacco smoke filling the air. He clenched his eyes as he coughed into his free hand. It was only after he finished coughing that he heard the laughter.

 

He opened his eyes and the previously empty room had been filled with many people. The girl dragged him past two fat men playing darts and away from the tittering ladies sharing a smoke. Many eyed him and he felt naked by their scrutiny, but not one moved to approach him or Bethany.

He stopped suddenly when Bethany paused in front of a young woman with her hair pulled in a loose ponytail. "Ma," the girl beamed. "I found someone!" The woman chuckled and eyed Ray as if he was some trinket (and maybe to these ghosts, he was). "He needs water - is it okay if I?"

The woman nodded and Ray looked between the two. May you what? What are you maying? He did not what to be mayed here. But the young woman looked at him softly. "Don't you wander away from her, you here?" He nodded and Bethany squealed as she dragged him to the only other door of the Strange Room.

Ray waited for Bethany to open the door and for him to be dragged into the decayed halls once more. He had no heart to tell her that her kitchen was likely so disused that he doubted water would even come out of the pipes - and even if it did, he doubted it would be healthy enough to drink.

She opened the door and Ray drew in a breath.

The hallway looked brand new; the lights were on and warm, the crappy wall paper was clean (and still crappy) and he felt like he went straight into an episode of the Twilight Zone.

She dragged him out towards the main room and it was beautiful. His legs were on automatic as she dragged him across the rooms and towards the kitchen. A chandler hung above their heads and the stairs were some type of amazing stone, maybe marble or some shit, Ray didn't have much time to guess as Bethany dragged him into the dinning hall.

He was sure he had died somehow.

He was sure that this had become some kind of American Horror Story - he was trapped in a house filled with dead people and he was a dead person and he blamed Michael for all of this.

He was going to kill that man when he saw him.

Ray was broken free from his thoughts when the girl returned with a glass - he noted that she had lightly tanned skin and a lovely dimpled smile. He found himself smiling back. "Thanks." He took the glass of water, eyed it, and muttered yolo before gulping it down.

Instantly, he felt better.

He felt...lighter?

The girl giggled, "Would you like to see the rest of the house? It's rather beautiful isn't it?"

Ray nodded lightly.

"Perfect!”

  

"And this is the greenhouse!" Ray let go of Bethany's hand as he took in the sight of the indoor garden. As much as he acted like it on screen, he isn't really that big about gardening and flowers. Like, they are pretty, but it's all dirt and plants. He'd rather stay inside and finish Mario.

But this, this, he took in with a gasp, it was vibrant.

It felt like he had walked inside a painting. Green vines hung from the ceiling, white flowers dotting its lines. There was a sharp sweet scent and even though he barely took a step inside, he felt like he was lost in a sea of color and lush green.

"It's..."

"Breathtaking?”

"Yes." He turned towards Bethany and the girl grinned. "It's my favorite room! It's a lot quieter than the other rooms." Ray nodded. 

"I could see why..”

He shivered.

The greenhouse was at the farthest point of the house, large and beautiful, but it was the last room that Bethany was going to show her. Now, Ray felt tired.

"Bethany..." he murmured. "Can I go home now?” 

There was a few seconds of silence, Ray shivered again.

“Why?” It was soft, nearly a whisper, Ray turned around to face her.

"Because I miss my.." life "friends." he trailed off. He rubbed his arms.

“……”

“Bethany?”

The girl hid her face. When she spoke, her voice shook. "I can give you friends, stay - stay here!" Ray flinched at her tone and took a step back. "Please, we're friends, aren't we?" Bethany looked at Ray. 

"We are.." but he shook his head minutely. "I just miss my old friends." He took another step back, breath now clearly seen in the icy room. 

Bethany smiled and Ray's heart skipped; it was a cold smile, tipped unevenly and when she spoke he felt like running. "Old friends?”

Suddenly, Bethany was gone and a cold hand pushed his shoulder. Ray turned but froze. Michael grinned a lopsided smile and when he spoke it was sharp and somehow harsher than Ray remembered. "Like me?”

"Orr," Not Michael drew out. "Me?" Now Gavin stood in front of him, though the malicious look never leaving his smile. "Or how about…"

"Someone like this?"

And Ray did gasp this time and step back when Ryan grinned back at him. "How-how do you know him?" Ryan rolled his eyes, "Hasn't anyone ever told you; never give your name to a spirit," Ryan stepped closer and Ray stepped back. "It's like giving them the key to the kingdom."

"But does it matter? I can give you what Ryan can't." Ray shook his head; tongue lead.

"Married man," Ryan laughed. "Quite the taste really."

Ray backed into a table and suddenly the cold body of not-Ryan was pressing against him, hands on either side of his waist. "I can give you what he can never give you - don't you want that?" Ray closed his eyes.

"You aren't real." He whispered. "No.” 

Ryan paused before leaning forward. "Maybe another..." The voice had changed and Ray opened his eyes to see a hungry, dark look in Joel's eyes.

"You have a thing for older men, huh?" Ray would have flushed, but he couldn't even feel his cheeks. He felt frozen, numb, and so scared.

"Please," he could only murmur. "Please, just let me go.

Joel pressed an icy hand against Ray's cheek and spoke softly, barely concealing laced pity. "Why do you want to go back to a world where you can never be happy?" Ray tried to shake his head. "Bu-but I am happy. Please, you're hurting me." His voice was trembling. 

Joel leaned in closer, breath that smelled of rot ghosting across his lips, and murmured. "All it would take is a kiss - we could be together, I could give you a happy life." Ray whimpered and shook his head. "I-If, yo-o-you car-red, yo-you'd l-l-lllet me go-o.”

"And if I was selfish?" Joel snarled.

Ray nearly cried. "P-p-ple-eas-ss-se." He felt like his heart was slowing, he felt so tired, his eyelids dropping. He had to stay awake, but he felt himself slipping with each passing second.

"I-I-I'll do-oo-o an-anything.”

Joel paused and Ray's eyes slipped shut. He was going to die, he was going to freeze to death, and he was going to die and he didn't want to die and he was so tired, please don't -

"Okay.”

Ray opened his eyes and suddenly felt a rush of warm air. "W-what?" Joel had disappeared and in his place stood little Bethany, eyes gleaming. 

"I said okay.” 

Ray watched Bethany, trying not to get too excited. "Really?"

He frowned. "...what's the catch?”

Bethany smiled. 

 

Ray woke up to the sounds of Michael calling him and Gavin shaking his shoulders.

"RAY! GodDammit, don't do this!" Ray opened his eyes and Gavin let out a sigh of relief. Michael, not wasting time, lifted Ray and the two rushed back to the parked car.

He blinked.

"How-how are we outside?" Neither answered him as Gavin unlocked the doors. Michael cursed as he laid Ray in the backseat.

"Fucking hell," he muttered. "You're cold as death.”

Ray just mumbled. "Ho-how did we escape?"

Gavin gave Ray an odd look. "Escape?"

The car rumbled and Ray thanked the sudden gust of warm air that washed over him.

"Are you talking about that one room?" Michael asked, brows furrowed.

"Yes? Didn't that thing chase you?" Gavin gave Michael an odd look. 

"I think he has a concussion.." Ray shook his head. 

"With the trapdoor and that strange room and..didn't you." Ray paused and Gavin made an 'ah' noise.

"Ray," he started, but Michael cut in. "After Gavin threw me down the hole and nothing happened, we went back up and found that the ceiling behind the door had crashed in. We didn't know where the hell you went." He gave Ray a concerned look in the rearview mirror. "We just found you actually, where did you go?” 

Ray opened his mouth but blinked in confusion. "I don't...I don't know."

He shivered slightly and the two lads shared another concerned look. "Maybe we should take him to the hospital.." Ray shook his head. "I'm fine." Neither of the lads looked convinced but left it alone when Ray adamentally continued to refuse to go the hospital.

"I just want to go home." He whined pitifully and Michael sighed.

"Fine, okay, but you're not staying alone - gotta make sure you don't die of hyperthermia or something.” 

Ray nodded. His eyes drifted close as he was lulled by the sounds of the motor, and the bickering  of his two friends, and the very light, very cold breeze brushing his hair with just the softest of whispers saying;

"I'll never leave you."


End file.
